Oh, Arizona. Home of the Grand Canyon. And the Cardinals. And John McCain, and police profiling of Mexicans, and gun nuts.
And now, Arizona can be known for one more thing—being the only state in the country without a KidsCare health program.
According to the state’s legislature, kids whose families cannot afford insurance don’t deserve it—even when it costs Arizona nothing.
KidsCare (Arizona’s version of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, commonly known as CHIP) has been frozen since 2010, and as activists have been pleading to the state government to lift that freeze and include it in this year’s budget, Arizona’s leaders had a different idea on Tuesday when they left the federally-funded program out.
But what does the budget include? Corporate tax breaks that are part of a $26 million package.
Senate President Andy Biggs, who is a millionaire by the way, also refuses to bring to the senate floor a bill proposed by Rep. Regina Cobb that would reinstate the program for 30,000 kids at no cost to Arizona. That bill, mind you, easily passed the House.
“I don’t support KidsCare,” Biggs simply stated.
He claims that although Arizona, and every other state, receives essentially ALL of the funding for it from the federal government, it’s not actually free and taxpayers pay the price.
He also insists that the tens of thousands of kids without insurance are already covered by Medicaid (which is false) and that if we give them coverage, they will come to expect it.
Oh, you know, like how people expect food and water and air? How dare they?
KidsCare isn’t a handout. It’s not an entitlement. The program uses federal tax money to help fill the gap the Affordable Care Act creates that leaves out many families who earn too much for Medicaid but who are still moderately poor. After rent, and utilities, and transportation, there’s barely anything left to pay high deductibles, which can be up to $10,000, or ER bills, which can leave families suffering financially for the rest of their lives.
These are working people. They’re not bums asking for a free ride. They just need a hand, and Arizona won’t even give them one finger.
But I can surely think of one finger to give the state.